Lastinger Learning
New Worlds Reading
Florida Tutoring Advantage
2026-2029
Strategic Plan
This strategic plan affirms the University of Florida Lastinger Center’s commitment to three milestones predictive of quality of life: kindergarten readiness, third grade reading and algebra proficiency.
Anchored by our strategic goals, we are charting a path to expand opportunities that improve educational outcomes for learners across the state of Florida.
Setting the Course for Impact
The Lastinger Center is emerging as a national leader in developing and implementing state-level systems in a technology-rich, rapidly shifting landscape. To meet the demands of tomorrow, we will:
Leverage system-level data responsibly to elevate instructional quality and unlock stronger learner outcomes.
Strengthen our organizational capacity to serve Florida’s educators and students with excellence, clarity, and purpose.
Strategic Goals
- Impact – Optimize educator and student impact
- Scale – Grow our reach
- Sustainability – Build for the future
Honoring the Lastinger Commitment
We founded the UF Lastinger Center for Learning because we believe education is the foundation of a thriving society. Helping teachers teach and students learn is how we build a better future for all of us. Our vision was to play an active role in supporting an education system that opens doors for every child and is led by respected, well-supported educators whose impact is understood and celebrated.
The Center is a reflection of our hope. It’s a place where innovation meets need, and every learner is set on a path toward lifelong success.
Allen & Delores Lastinger
Strategic Imperatives
Since its establishment, the UF Lastinger Center has served Florida in transformative ways:
- Delivering high-quality Lastinger Learning programs in early childhood, literacy, and mathematics,
- Leading two ambitious statewide initiatives, New Worlds Reading and the Florida Tutoring Advantage, and
- Developing the Data Lagoon to provide secure, reliable data that accelerates analysis, research, and innovation.
Now, by connecting enterprise-level systems to practical insight, we are modernizing how educational evidence is generated and used to inform research, evaluation, products, programs, and systems.
Supported by the University of Florida’s gold-standard technological ecosystem and strong statewide partnerships, we are building the infrastructure, capacity, and relationships needed to transform trusted data into better teaching, smarter decision-making, and stronger learner outcomes.
Internal Imperatives
Achieving this vision requires greater efficiency, focus, and agility. Our guiding principles ensures that our structure, processes, and culture evolve to meet our mission.
Additional details coming soon!
External Imperatives
To deepen our statewide impact, our strategic imperatives guide the systems, insights, and innovation required to strengthen educational outcomes.
Strategic Outcomes
Engagement & Partnership
By harnessing data to shape products and programs, the Lastinger Center will:
- Produce modernized, responsive, user-centered offerings, including expanded micro-credential programs that deepen practitioner support across Florida, and
- Refine recruitment strategies and strategic partnerships that increase awareness and participation in programs and products.
Organizational Sophistication
The combination of strengthened data governance, increased staff expertise and sustainable funding models will allow the Lastinger Center to:
- Establish a strong UF-aligned data infrastructure
- Leverage the HiPerGator supercomputer for enhanced reliability, efficiency and speed for effective decision making
Academic Impact
Leveraging a trusted, secure data environment for timely, actionable insights will inform program improvement, academic research, and education policy and practice. A coordinated research agenda:
- Grows the evidence base to guide design and investment in educational programming,
- Grows the evidence base to guide design and investment in educational programming,
- Improves communication and return on investment.
Organizational Commitment
The UF Lastinger Center operates as a community of high-functioning professionals who believe in the power of systems, commitment, and relationships. Our reputation is defined by:
- Developing high-quality educational programs,
- Responding to stakeholder needs, and
- Engaging in ongoing cycles of innovation in pursuit of lasting and positive change.
